Ok, with that out of the way, here’s an after-school-special-friendly example of why pirating’s for suckers. See, if you somehow managed to nab an illegitimate early copy of Forza 3 or Borderlands, you’re cruising for an Xbox Live permaban.

“You know, when you play a pre-release title on LIVE when I know you shouldn’t have it, it’s not hard for me to figure out,” tweetedXbox Live Director of Policy and Enforcement Stephen Toulouse.

“Don’t worry folks, anyone who bought a copy early is ok. In general, if you got a receipt, play away. These are illegit copies we’re hitting.”

He said nothing, however, about people who stole either game from a retailer. Our guess? You scoundrels are probably in the clear. Well, online anyway. But the police probably won’t touch your precious Gamerscore. Probably.